The Sultanate of Oman has been ranked third among Arab countries with the most number of hydrogen projects during the Q3 2022. Oman has set an ambitious goal to become one of the largest green hydrogen producers and exporters globally, targeting production of 1 million tones to 1.25 million tonnes annually by 2030 and to increase production to 3.25 million to 3.75 millions tonnes by 2040.
In May this year, OQ — Oman’s leading integrated energy group — ACWA Power and Air Products signed a joint development agreement (JDA) toward a multibillion-dollar investment in a world-scale green hydrogen-based ammonia production facility powered by renewable energy in Dhofar Governorate.
In a report titled “Development of LNG and Hydrogen in the second and third quarters of 2022” by the Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), the Arab countries are in a race for the hydrogen market, which is regarded as the ‘fuel of the future.’ The report said that during 2022, Arab countries showed unprecedented activity in order to increase international cooperation and partnership in the field of hydrogen.
The Arab countries seek to implement mega projects and signed several agreements, which include the production of green hydrogen and green ammonia, expansion of the production of blue hydrogen or its derivatives such as blue ammonia and hydrogen applications in land, sea and air transport.
Several Arab countries have set specific targets with timeframes for hydrogen production and a target share in global trade, reflecting their desire to enter a promising market in the future and gain an important market share. The number of announced projects for the production and use of hydrogen in the Arab countries increased to 61 projects, as of Q3 2002, the report added.
The Sultanate of Oman has 9 hydrogen projects in the pipeline, behind Egypt with 23 projects and the UAE with 12 projects. Saudi Arabia came 4th with 8 projects, followed by Morocco (3), Mauritania and Iraq (2), while Algeria, Djibouti, Jordan and Qatar each announced one project.
The report, prepared by Wael Abdel Moati, said that Egypt tops the list of Arab countries in terms of the number of announced projects, which confirms its importance as a main investment destination for companies wishing to invest in this promising sector, taking advantage of its natural resources and geographical location close to European markets.
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